Crouch misses out for Crows' AFL opener

Missing out ... Brad Crouch has been left out of the Crows' side to face Essendon.

Getty Images: Regi Varghese

Much-vaunted Adelaide recruit Brad Crouch has missed selection for what would have been his AFL debut in the season opener against Essendon at Football Park on Friday night.

Crouch, recruited at the end of 2011 as a 17-year-old via the mini-draft and forced to wait until this year before he could play AFL, had been regarded as a round-one certainty.

Instead, the midfielder has been named as an emergency for the match.

Versatile Crows tall Josh Jenkins has been named at centre-half-forward, getting first opportunity to replace the departed Kurt Tippett.

Essendon will give mature-aged recruit Nick Kommer an AFL debut, while David Zaharakis and Michael Hurley have been named despite preseason injury problems.

Both West Coast and Fremantle have dipped into their stocks of big men to cover injury losses for their season opener on Saturday night.

The Eagles have promoted Scott Lycett to step in for the injured Nic Naitanui, while Fremantle will play Jon Griffin and experienced Kepler Bradley after pre-season injuries to Aaron Sandilands and Zac Clarke.